Perforated tile supporting system



Feb. 16, 1960 M. R. PRICE PERFORATED TILE SUPPORTING Filed July 13, 1955 SYSTEM INVENTOR. Mmwjr IE Pe/cc BY q A4144 g rOlP/VE Y United States Patent 2,924,856 PERFORATED TILE SUPPORTING SYSTEM Manley R. Price, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to Sanymetal Products Company Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 13, 1955, Serial No. 521,720

2 Claims. (Cl. 204) A's partially indicated by the above title, the present invention relates principally to a supporting means or apparatus by the use of which relatively rigid and high density wall or ceiling treatment elements, particularly perforated, incombustible acoustical tile, can be secured in desired positions relative to enclosures such as offices, dwellings and industrial work spaces at substantially minimum cost in material and erection time. The specifically herewith-illustrated embodiment of the invention are designed to enable economical mounting of incombustible acoustical tile (e.g. perforated hard asbestos cement board units) on suspended ceiling and similar foundations (metal or wood) of more or less conventional construction.

Fire resistant or incombustible acoustical tile has become standardized in this country and others as to prin cipal dimensions (12 x 12", seldom used, and 24" X 24", usual, being illustrative); and the sound absorptive perforations are sufficiently standardized in arrangement and relative position on the tile so that fasteners, such as screws, can (indicating an object hereof) coincide in position with perforations, both in the tile and on the supporting members hereto, providing such members are substantially uniformly spaced apart in a common plane 'on proper centers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a light gage metal runner channel or structural member for supporting regularly or uniformly perforated acoustical tile edge-to-edge and by the use of ordinary sheet metal screws or operatingly similar fasteners in such manner that all the tiles, over any desired room-defining area, will be in full edgewise mutual abutment and in a common plane or flush with each other, solely as a function of inserting the screws straight through the perforations of the tiles and then screwing them into the supporting members with approximately uniform tightness or applied torque.

Another object is to provide a low cost but sufficiently strong supporting system for perforated acoustical tiles of uniform design, which system, for erection of all necessary components on a suitable basic foundation structure, requires the use of no tools other than the hands of the erecting crew members.

In combustible perforated acoustical tiles are usually made as relatively stiff square or rectangular sheets, pressed to shape in suitable moulds or between dies, thus being uniform and as thin as will enable the tiles to resist visible sagging when supported by fasteners spaced about one foot apart in two relatively normal directions. If such tiles are secured to supporting runners of generally used construction (e.g. furring strips or metal members adapted to retain tile fasteners) the perforations are blocked by the adjacent runner faces on the back sides of the tiles (reducing acoustical efficiency) and the runner faces show through the perforations, rendering the treatment non-uniform in appearance. A further object hereof is to provide economical and effectual runner supports for direct application of relatively thin tile thereto and which will not block the perforations on the back sides of the tiles nor be normally visible, as on casual inspection, from the exposed sides by persons in the acoustically treated space or region.

My Patent 2,706,315 shows a channel runner the main exposed face of which has a multiplicity of form pierced screw-point-guiding and retaining devices of highly effectual nature but the form-piercing operation cannot be accomplished, during formation of the metal strip stock by rolling dies, into the necessary channel or other structural shapes. The reason why will be apparent from inspection of said patent. Another object hereof is to provide a structural supporting runner (channel or hollow beam, usable in the manner of a rafter or building stud) having screw holding devices operable generally as those of said patent just above discussed but which devices are capable of being fully and accurately formed simultaneously with full shaping of the runners from strip stock, as between rolls, to any desired structural cross sectional configurations and to any desired length.

Other objects and various special advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the herewith illustrated embodiments.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a small scale, worms-eye perspective view of a typical suspended ceiling construction embodying the present invention in one form.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a short section of form pierced channel runner hereof, and a screw in tile-supporting position in one of several screw holding apertured V-shaped grooves of the channel.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a channel hanger clip hereof.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a channel end splicer, hereinafter, usually, called a coupler.

Fig. 5 is a typical cross-sectional, full scale, view of one tile supporting channel hereof and portions of two relatively adjacent acoustical tile, secured thereto.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the runner in the form of a hollow beam, usable, for example, as a builders partition wall stud.

The dimensions given in the following description are relative. Any others can be substituted if in the same or other suitable proportions. Further, terms such as vertical below and the like are used solely for convenience, since they would be inapplicable in respect to upright wall structures using the principles of the invention without required essential change.

In Fig. 1, the suspended ceiling structure, so far as illustrated, comprises a pair of supporting structural members C ('e.g. 1 /2 standard steel furring channels accurately leveled and suspended for example by wires W). Form-pierced tile supporting channels 1 hereof, three being partially shown in Pig. 1 are secured to the members C at right angles thereto, twelve inches apart (on centers), and against the under flanges c by hanger clips 2 (see Fig. 3), one clip being used at each intersection of channels 1 and C. One of the channels 1, or a portion thereof, is shown secured to an endwise adjacent channel 1 or portion of it by an end splicer or coupler 3 (see Fig. 4). The high density tiles T, portions of two 24 inch square tiles being shown, are secured directly against structurally reinforced web portions 4 by several sheet metal screws 5 and 5 (Fig. 1), preferably No. 4 screws, which enter screw holding and locking apertures 6 or 6' (see Figs. 5 and 6) of said web portions 4. M is a moulding strip.

In the type of acoustical treatment shown by Fig. 1 wherein the tiles T are hard high density and relatively thin, it is customary to supplement the sound absorption perforations P of the tiles with pervious material such as rock wool laid over the metal supports for the tiles. Sound absorptive material easily penetrable by the tile attaching fasteners can, of course, be interposed between the channels 1 and the tiles T (not illustrated). Each of the tile supporting channels 1, as .shown by Figs. 2 and 5, has a pair of parallel flanges 7, downwardly hooked as at 8 along their free upper edges for channel-supporting engagement by the hanger clips 2, as will be described below. Each channel 1 has, on its web 4, three parallel rows of screw receiving and locking apertures 6 and 6. (outside rows 6'-see Fig. 2) in relatively offset or staggered relationship as between adjacent rows. The rows of apertures 6 and 6' are accurately spaced apart transversely of the longitudinal extent of the channel 1 the same distance that the perforations P of the tiles are spaced apart in directions parallel to the perimetral edge surfaces t of the tiles (one half an inch, as shown in Fig. 5). The centers of the perforations P of the tiles are spaced from said tile edge surfaces 2! the same distance as the centers of the perforations are spaced apart; hence when the marginal row of perforations P of two adjacent tiles T are directly under or aligned with the locking apertures 6, as exhibited by Fig. 5, the two tile edge surfaces t are approximately in abutment, as shown. To assure maintenance of the relationships discussed above, it is only necessary for the erectors to make certain, before mounting any of the tiles T, that all the channels 1 are spaced apart approximately one foot, on centers, or as nearly that distance as can be measured with tape or rule. Incidentally if the channels 1, as first mounted on the supports C, are not properly spaced, they can (as will be apparent, at least from description given below) be relocated by slidably adjusting their hanger clips 2 along the supports C as by light taps with a hammer or block of wood or other implement at hand.

The channel 1 is completely roll-formed in one operation from, for example, .022" thick semi-hard steel. As shown the channel is A" high and 1 /2" wide. The hanger clips 2 and couplers 3 should be of much heavier metal than the channel 1, but still capable of being bent by hand.

The screw holding apertures 6 and 6' of channels 1 'aseasse are located along apex portions of three identical V- grooves or troughs 10 in the downwardly exposed, generally planar, face portions 4' of the channel'webs 4. Thus the upwardly converging (inclined approximately 30 relative to the adjacent tile faces as shown) wall surfaces, defining the under faces of the V-troughs or grooves to, form screw-point-guides leading to the apertures 6 or 6 to compensate for such misalignment as may occur between the tile perforations P and the screw locking apertures 6, 6' due (e.g.) to misplacement of the channels 1. Additionally the V-shaped troughs space the channel web metal far enough from the back or concealed surfaces of the tiles, in alignment with the tile perforations and wider than the transverse dimensions of the perforations, so that very little if any light or sound will be reflected back through the relatively axially short or shallow tile perforations. This runner-positionconcealing function or effect of troughs 10 can be augmented by applying suitable light absorptive treatment (e.g. dye or dead black paint) to the under faces of the troughs 6 and 6 or over the entire lower web surfaces 4 while the channels are being rolled. Even without special light absorptive treatment, however, occupants of the acoustically treated area, notwithstanding the thinness of the tiles, are not apt to be made aware of the positions of the channels 1 by reflected light seen through the tile perforations.

The apertures 6 and 6 are formed by so called slitting rolls, during the formation of the (e.g.) channels 1 to desired shapes. In the process of slitting, substantially no metal is removed from the channel stock. The process results in provision of relatively thin and approximately parallel upper marginal edge portions 10' 4 of the sheet metal along each side of each aperture which portions 10 are work hardened to a considerable extent, being tough and springy. The nearly knife sharp and toughened free-edge-defining portions 10 of the troughs, for the full length of each aperture 6 or 6', are spaced apart considerably less than the maximum diameters of the screws 5 (threaded portions) to be used for attachment of the tiles T, and the screws are locked or held by what may be considered a toggling action of the engaged surface portions of the troughs 10 in very much the same manner as screws are held by the form pierced apertured portions of sheet metal in my Patent 2,706,315.

The apertures 6 and 6' hereof are of equal width and length (latter circa 1 /e-1% or longer than twice the spacing on centers of adjacent perforations of tiles T), and are offset or staggered, half lap, leaving approximately long areas of unperforated metal, lengthwise of the aperture rows and uniformly obliquely of each other (criss cross) which arrangement, due in large part to the lengthwise ribbing afforded by the troughs 10, maintains rather surprising transverse twist resisting strength of the channels 1. The outside, or flange-adjacent, apertures 6 are approximately opposite each other, transversely of the channels, so that the channels 1 are bisummetrical and can be used interchangeably lengthwise, especially if similarly cut at their two ends, with assurance of transverse alignment of matching apertures.

In actual practice no care need be taken to insure placement of any two relatively adjacent channels 1 with their apertures 6 and 6 in horizontal alignment or transversely of the channels 1, because, if, in order to enter an aperture 6 or 6', the first screw 5 or 5' in a series or row of tiles T has to be set back from the edge of the tile a distance corresponding to the spacing apart of co-adjacent perforations P, the tiles will nevertheless be sufficiently securely supported. By the use of appropriate control means, during rolling, the channels 1 can be cut off so that approximate alignment of the outside apertures 6, transversely of the channel assemblies, can be assured. It is apparent from Fig. 1 that the middle row of apertures 6 in channels 1 receive the fasteners 5' one of which, as shown in Fig. 1, is located at or near the center of the tile T, others being located near margins of the tiles.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, particularly Fig. 3, hanger clip 2, as shown, comprises a flat sheet metal stamping with arm portions 15 and 16 struck in opposite directions from the principal plane of the clip stock. Arm por tions 15 and 16 have notches 17 and 18 adapted to interlock with the hook formations 8 on channels 1. As will be evident, from comparison of Figs. 1 and 3, the arm portions 15 and 16 of the clips 2 can be loosely but positively engaged with the channel hook formations 8 by rotating the clips about their main vertical axes; and then the assemblies, comprising channels 1 and clips 2, can be firmly secured to the supports C by bending the horizontally separated upright portions 20 of the clips 2 around the channels C. The portions 20 of the clips 2 are further relatively weakened by perforations 2b and 2c, at expected bend-required locations, to facilitate bending of the originally vertical portions of the clips 2 around the top flange portions of the supports C. The bending of portions 29 of clips 2 around sup-' ports C can, and usually is, done by hand or without the use of artificial tools.

The channel end splicer or coupler 3, Figs. 1 and 4 is made in one piece from sheet metal and generally is of H-section as clearly illustrated. Coupler 3 has a web portion 25, doubled back flanges 26 and a series of tongues 27 struck from its web portion 25. The coupler snugly telescopes the two connected end portions of channels 1, between the webs 4 and hook formations 8 of channel flanges 7; and, to assure the coupler-telescoped channel sections very firmly together, the tongues 27;

are bent around the outside faces of the hooked portions of the flanges 7 of channels 1 as shown in Fig. 1. The bending of tongues 27 is easily done by hand.

Referring to Fig. 6. the hollow sheet metal structural member 30 therein shown has its relatively opposite face portions 31. and 32 formed to receive and retain screws or operatingly similar fasteners 5 or 5' essentially the same as do the apertured V-grooves of channels 1. Member 30 is made of adequately heavy gage sheet metal stock so that it can serve effectually as a partition or other wall stud of any required length, the illustrated proportions being those of a wooden 2 x 4. For use as vertical supports for acoustical tiles T the stud forming members 30 are spaced apart the same as are the channel members 1 described above. Actually any sort of wall board can be applied over the V-grooved and apertured face portions 31 or 32. In case the members 30 are to support plain wall board (e.g. gypsum board) the form-pierced metal treatment according to my Patent 2,706,315 is more effectual than the apertured V-grooves hereof, being better adapted to receive screws when driven blind" through such wall board. That metal treatment however, as already mentioned, is incapable of being effected simultaneously with rolling of the metal into structural shapes as is done with the hereby depicted arrangements. The folded joint 35, Fig. 6, in portion 36 of member 30 is roll formed as done in making sheet metal tubes. The joint can be of any appropriate design other than as shown and, for added stiffness, two such joints 35 can be applied (one opposite depicted joint 35 or on portion 37) when the member 30 is made from two metal strips, each rolled into channel shape.

I claim:

1. In combination with generally fiat, high density, relatively rigid acoustical tile having parallel, equally spaced apart, rows of sound-receptive perforations whose transverse dimensions are in the magnitude of the thickness of the tile, an elongated tile-supporting member of sheet metal having at least three co-planar elongated parallel rib surface portions extending for its entire length and adapted for face-to-face operative supporting contact with the tile, said rib surface portions of the member having, integral therewith and disposed intermediately of adjacent pairs of rib surface portions, at least two V-shaped troughs spaced apart the same distance as the rows of perforations of the tile are spaced apart, apically intersected by elongated relatively narrow apertures of uniform width separated longitudinally by imperforate relatively short apical portions of the sheet metal, and a plurality of screw type fasteners extending through certain of the tile perforations into respective apertures of the troughs and lockingly retained by edge portions defining opposite sides of associated apertures, so that each trough is aligned with a row of tile perforations and is partially exposed through the perforations, the thus exposed pairs of inclined faces defining the troughs being wide enough to span or bridge entirely across the perforations and being inclined relative to the axes of the perforations at such an angle that very little or no light or sound which may enter the perforations tends to be reflected back through the perforations by said exposed inclined faces.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the tile-supporting member is adapted to be roll-formed, from a single piece strip of sheet metal, and having four of the parallel rib surface portions and having three of the V-shaped troughs, the latter being spaced apart a distance corresponding to the transverse spacing of the rows of perforations of the tile.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS (Catalog SN-4, The Sanymetal Products Co., Cleveland, Ohio, 1950). 

